Marlins shut down by Reds in 2-0 defeat
Tyler Stephenson hits a solo home run and Brandon Williams threw 6.2 shutout innings as the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Miami Marlins 2-0 on Monday.
Williamson allowed three hits with four strikeouts and a walk. His gem lowered the Reds’ starting pitchers’ ERA to 3.00 on the season.
The Marlins (6-3) didn’t get their first hit of the game until Otto Lopez hit a single in the fourth inning. Lopez was the only Marlins hitter to get multiple base hits.
Agustin Ramirez hit a triple in the sixth inning, but was stranded after a strikeout by Reds reliever Brock Burke ended the inning. The Reds’ bullpen combined for one walk and two strikeouts in 2.1 hitless innings of work to end the game. Emilio Pagán earned his fourth save of the season with a perfect ninth.
Elly De La Cruz doubled and scored on a single from Sal Stewart in the fourth inning to score Cincinnati’s first run of the game. The star shortstop led the Reds at the plate along with Friedl with two hits each.
Marlins starting pitcher Janson Junk tossed a career high 7.1 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts in the loss. Junk has thrown seven innings only three times for the Marlins, all in 2025. Tyler Phillips came into the game in relief and finished it with 1.2 hitless innings and a strikeout.
The Marlins will send the ace back to the mound on Tuesday. Sandy Alcantara (0.00 ERA) threw a complete-game shutout with fewer than 100 pitches in his previous outing.
Kyle Stowers injury update
The Marlins started the season with their best hitter, left fielder Kyle Stowers, on the injured list (retroactive March 22) with a hamstring strain. The original projection was three to four weeks but was seen on Monday with the team during batting practice.
“Kyle is still here with us,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “He was running today, and looks like he’s trending in a good spot, see how these next couple of days go, and then decide when and what a rehab assignment will look like.”
Braxton Garrett thriving in Jacksonville
Braxton Garrett shut down Sugar Land’s bats in 4.2 innings with eight strikeouts while allowing only two hits in Triple-A Jacksonville’s 2-0 win on Easter Sunday. He may be the clear choice for MVP of the defending national champions, as two of Jacksonville’s three wins this season were on days Garrett started. His 0.96 ERA is the third lowest in the International League.
Garrett missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John after other injuries derailed his 2024 season. When healthy, Garrett proved to be a solid pitcher for the Marlins. He made his MLB debut in the middle of a playoff race in 2020. His best season was in 2023, where he recorded a 3.66 ERA with an 8.79 K/9 in 31 outings, as well as starting in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card series against Philadelphia.
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